


At Your Pleasure

by OBrownies



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: College, Escort Service, F/M, Illness, Mild Sexual Content, Misunderstandings, Money, Slow Romance, rich/poor
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-30
Updated: 2020-07-10
Packaged: 2021-02-27 03:34:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,552
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22030363
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OBrownies/pseuds/OBrownies
Summary: Taking the job of an escort out of financial desperation, your life turns upside down when Seto Kaiba happens to be your client.
Relationships: Kaiba Seto/Reader
Comments: 3
Kudos: 41





	1. Chapter 1

_‘I can’t do this again, I quit, I quit…’_

It’s only been an hour and you’re already doubting the longevity of your new profession. 

_‘This is crazy, why did I do this?’_

Your overstuffed wallet felt clumsy your hands as you hurried out of the empty hotel atrium; whatever ergonomic purpose this overpriced leather pouch supposedly served was completely nullified as you awkwardly crammed it with more cash than it was designed to handle.

“Are you sure? Mr. Kaiba said you can have a ride if you’d like.” 

“N...no.” The forced smile your lips failed to conceal the shakiness of your protest. “I’m good, thank you, I can pay for my own ride thanks...”

“Don’t worry, we’ll handle the cab fare.” A casual shrug by your client’s personal secretary dismissed your offer as she waved at the queue of taxies waiting outside the hotel’s front portico.

Too overwhelmed to even think properly, let alone make conversation, you nodded your head in silence as a token of your appreciation as a bicolored taxicab pulled in from the roundabout.

“Oh! And remember.” The woman cautioned sternly; gripping tightly onto the exposed flesh of your shoulder as she prevented you from entering the taxi. “Not a word.” She whispered with a threateningly smile as she made a zipping motion across her lips.

“Thank you for the reminder.” You returned her feigned civility with an equally insincere smile before brushing away her well-manicured hand.

“Good.” Having said her piece, the woman resumed her artificial smiling as she slammed the door shut in your face. “Have a wonderful night Ms. Dubois, thank you for your service.” 

* * *

“Reina-san… Reina-san!”

You jolted awake as a small piece of chalk smacked you squarely on the forehead. 

“Pay attention!” The professor, infamous for his temper, scolded sternly as you hastily make a half-assed apology. As if that wasn’t humiliating enough, the sudden onset of whispers and giggles around the lecture hall exacerbated your embarrassment as curious students pointed in your direction.

“Actually, come down here and solve this.” Dr. Johansson barked, now adamant on proving a point with your absentmindedness as the classroom dissolved into laughing chatter.

Though unsettled by this unwarranted attention, you obediently approached the podium in silence as the professor pointed to an unsolved equation. “Make sure you correct for the units.” He grumbled, poking little yellow dots on the blackboard as he tapped impatiently with the remainder of broken his chalk.

To your relief, the fits of giggles around the room ceased as Dr. Johansson nodded approvingly at your results. “Brilliant.” He complimented as you dusted your hands of the powdery residue; not too shabby, considering you hadn’t paid any attention at all to his lecture today. “But, what Reina failed to show was how she obtained the primary variable. To do that, you first…”

Dr. Johansson’s monotoned ramblings quickly faded into the background once more as you idled back to your seat. 

_‘I can’t believe I slept with….’_

Stifling an aggravated groan, you inhaled deeply as you plopped down next to your comatose lab partner; must be nice, snoring away in the in middle of class having not a single care in the world. While you, on the other hand, couldn’t sleep a wink last night as images of Kaiba churred incessantly through your mind. With a weary scan around the room, you buried your mouth in your hands as you stared distractedly at the back of everyone’s head.

 _‘Is that Mokuba Kaiba?!’_ Your brick of a textbook crashed loudly onto the floor as your legs kicked involuntarily against the base of your desk. _‘How come I’ve never noticed him before?’_ Confirming the fuzzy headed young man was indeed the younger of the two Kaibas as he turned his attention to you, your heart raced wildly as everyone followed suit over the crashing noise of your textbook hitting the floor.

“What is it this time?” 

Retrieving the book as an exasperated Dr. Johansson glared in your direction, you pointed to your unconscious neighbor as you laid your textbook on top of his desk. Mokuba shook his head and chuckled at your skillful blame-shift before he turning from the commotion. 

Relieved at his lack of recognition, you took a deep inhale and slipped the overpriced textbook quietly back to your side.

* * *

A sense of normalcy resumed as you preoccupied yourself with your impending midterms. 

The money you made from that single night’s sexual escapade was enough to last for the next few months without having to dip into your precious saving account. 

As an international exchange student, finding decent work in Japan was already difficult enough, but having to find one that would accommodate your bouts of sickness and your grueling class schedule was a near impossibility. Unwilling to burden yourself with more student loans, you risked the one job that you knew would be of little time investment but with high returns. 

_‘But never in a million years…’_ You shook your head as you resumed your studying; but never in a million years did you ever expect your first client as an escort to be Seto freaking Kaiba.

“Shhh!”

Someone cautioned as your phone vibrated loudly against the communal study table in the library.

“Sorry sorry…Hello?” You answered in a hushed voice as you navigated out of the silent study hall.

“Hi, this is Katie from Blue Cross-Blue Shield insurance, is this Reina Dubois I’m speaking with?”

“Yes.” You whispered as a trail of disapproving sighs followed your disruptive departure.

“Hi Reina, how are you doing today?”

“Good…”

The solid ground beneath your feet wobbled like a pile of silly putty as you were informed of their changes in international policy. Holding onto the railing as you descended the stairs down to the subway platform, the shock of this unexpected news turned into anger as Katie notified you of the meager one week grace period before your medical coverage will be permanently terminated.

Tears of frustration blurred your vision as you tore through the crowd of office workers and casual commuters, pleading on the phone for Katie to reconsider.

“I’m sorry Reina, but these are the terms of our new policy.”

And with that, your life was forfeit. 

How unfortunate it was to have inherited a terminal illness with such low survivability that it was considered practically _incurable_ in the medical community. 

What little optimism you had from finding a promising clinical treatment in Tokyo completely shattered as you are now stuck, jobless and without insurance, in one of the most expensive cities in the world.

How are you supposed to shoulder the full brunt of your medical expenses while still having to afford tuition and Tokyo’s sky-high living expenses? 

Considering your options, you wondered if the next 5 years was even worth it if you must spend it living like this.

_‘If I even live that long…’_

Though quitting school has always an option, but that’s a whole different story.

Taking a seat in a secluded corner of a small cafe in the subway station as you waited for your next train, you sipped quietly on some coffee as you pondered your fate. 

Suddenly, an unknown number flashed on your phone screen and you answered it without much thinking. 

“Reina speaking.” The sobbing in your voice startled the person on the other line as you nearly wept into your speakers.

“Hi Ms. Duboi, this is Hina Ito calling to schedule an appointment for Mr. Kaiba.”

“Oh.” You wiped the tears from your face. “S-sure.”

“Tonight at 11:30, same location, I will meet you in the lobby, see you there.” You sighed as Hina hung up the call without waiting for your confirmation.

* * *

Covering your swollen eyes as you lowered the hood of your jacket, you glanced out into the scenic abyss as the subway trekked through the underground network of tunnels beneath the cities of Domino and Tokyo. 

As unexpected as it was to have encountered Seto Kaiba at all, it was even more shocking to have been requested for a second time. 

Was your performance in bed that unforgettable? Do you possess some extraordinary beauty that made you more memorable than the hoards of women that he’s constantly surrounded by? Does he have a secret fetish for someone with a half-Asian lineage? What’s so special about you, this simple girl from America, to have enticed a man like Seto Kaiba? 

_‘Who am I kidding.’_ You scoffed at your silly thoughts as a flash of daylight illuminated the crowded cabin. Kaiba’s not known to be a flashy spender unless it’s tech or duel monster related. Seeing how you’re neither of those things... _‘I’m probably just cheaper than his other hookers that’s all.’_

Who knows how much high-end escorts go for these days, you just went along with the average rate as suggested by the madam. 

And sex with you couldn’t have been that notable. For one, it was the most strait-laced sex you’ve ever had as it just consisted of you just laying there like a blowup doll as he ploughed you like a robot. No noises (from him), no kissing, and no touching besides what was necessary for him to penetrate. 

Though it was a rather daunting sight to have seen him naked for the first time, the size of him was definitely as big as his ego.

 _‘He’s my only meal ticket now_. _’_ The dwindling flames of hope for your future rekindled as you thanked Kaiba in your mind, beggars can’t be choosers after all.


	2. Chapter 2

“Come i- what are you wearing?” 

You blinked as Kaiba’s scowl greeted you upon opening the door to his hotel room.

”I said, what are you wearing?”

Kaiba enunciated as swept his eyes from your head down to your toes.

The question took far longer to process in your head than you had anticipated as it was quite disconcerting to hear him say anything else besides his usual: "Be quiet.", "Hurry up.", and "We're done here."

“Jeans, crop-top, and shoes Kaiba… I mean, Mr. Kaiba.”

Having never spoken to the man before, you fumbled your words as Kaiba’s piercing blue eyes scanned you up and down once more but with an intense loathing this time. 

“Don’t wear that again.”

Kaiba scowled disapprovingly as he crossed his arms, scrutinizing your body as if it was covered in filth and vermin.

“I’m sorry.” You mumbled, humiliated by his callous remark against what you consider to be acceptable everyday attire. “I didn’t have enough time to chang-”

“Be quiet.”

You swallowed your complaint as he loosened his navy-blue tie with a swish. 

Just your luck, the one time you’re unable to doll up like some flaming hoe-bag is the one time he‘s finally decide to be on time.

Had you known he would be this offended by your staunch peasantry, you would have never rushed over so quickly, having had to cut short your exam just to make it to the meeting time Hina had demanded. 

Besides, what’s the point of dolling yourself up anyways if you’ll just end up waiting for him naked in bed like every other time? It’s not like he’d seen you with clothes on before as you were also expected to leave before he was done with his post-coitus shower.

Chalking Kaiba’s attitude up to the typical eccentricities of a man of his status, you apologized once more and bowed obediently as he motioned for you to undress.

Facing away as you systematically stripped yourself of your garments, a knot formed in the pit of your stomach as the dimly lit hotel room suddenly brightened with an assortment lights.

“Turn around.”

Unnerved by Kaiba’s unusual command, you turned wearily, wondering what’s gotten into him tonight. 

Still impeccably dressed with the exception of the tie that’s now wound around his hands, Kaiba sat at the edge of the bed as he scrutinized every inch of your naked body. 

Self-conscious as his surveying eyes suddenly morphed into a disapproving stare, you glanced down at yourself and noticed a purplish blotch on your thigh where the nurse had stuck the IV this morning. Lowering your hand over the hideous bruise, your cheeks flushed scarlet as you shrunk away with embarrassment. 

Trying to not over think everything, you reasoned to yourself that it was just a little bruising of the skin and there was nothing to be embarrassed about. Surely he’s bumped against a doorknob or the corner of his desk before and was left a bruise right? 

Despite your inner self trying desperately to dispel those thoughts and forcefully trying to project some confidence, you missed dearly the usual cloak of darkness as Kaiba located the other bruise on the side of your hip. The subconscious of your mind whimpered as he continued to examine you like some prize-winning puppy, pointing back and forth between the two purple blotches. 

“What happened there?”

Of course, Kaiba would inquire about your injuries, he’s paying for your body after all. Except, if he had just stuck to his usual tardiness routine, you doubt he’d ever noticed it anyways having always had sex under the cover of darkness.

“I tripped.”

“Likely story.”

His look of annoyance changed into a smirk of amusement as you fidgeted uncomfortably at his unrelenting stare. You questioned your self-worth and wondered why you’d ever been ok with being devalued like this, even if _this_ was the great Seto Kaiba.

Sure, he’s checked you out plenty of times before, it comes with the territory; but not like this, not like he’s conducting some quality assurance check on a damaged product. 

The bed gave a small groan as Kaiba unfolded his arms and sauntered towards you shrinking presence. The cerulean of his eyes deepened as he paused merely inches away from your face. A strand of your loose curls fell from the messy bun on your head as you flinched away from his outstretched hand. Undeterred, Kaiba moved closer and placed his finger beneath your chin and gently brushed the hair from your face.

“Look at me.”

He ordered, forcing your head up to meet his gaze. The apple red of your cheeks flushed even brighter as Kaiba smirked at your flustered expression. Butterflies fluttered in your stomach as he studied your face in great detail, taking in every imperfection you were sure he was going to find. 

But given the chance now to do the same as you studied his features in return, you noticed how boyishly handsome his face truly was; a man of his stature, wealth, and no doubt intelligence and now plus his looks? No wonder why the ladies all go gaga over him.

Suddenly, a daring thought crept into your mind as your eyes lingered on Kaiba’s lips. What does he taste like? Are his kisses as dull as his performance in bed? 

Gasping slightly as Kaiba’s other hand unexpectedly snaked around your waist, you swallowed hard as he leaned in with a look of hunger in his eyes. The crisp, rhythmic ticking of his Vacheron Constantin wristwatch slowed as time came to a standstill. Flittering your eyelids shut as Kaiba leaned in closer and closer, you waited with bated breath to receive his lips.

“Ok, we’re done here.” Kaiba suddenly declared, knocking you to your senses with this out of the blue statement. 

“What!?” You exclaimed. What does he mean by _we’re done here_? 

“We’re done.” Dropping your chin with a slight flick of his finger, Kaiba responded with indifference as he repeated his previous statement. 

What was the point to all of this? 

As if being examined like a corpse for autopsy wasn’t bad enough, was he trying rile you up as well for some cheap amusement?

“Hurry up.” Kaiba called by the door, rolling his eyes as you scrambled at your pile of neatly folded clothes. “Are you always this slow?” In spite the callousness of his words, there was no urgency or discourteousness to his voice but just a bit of cheekiness in the delivery.

Pulling on your clothes at lightning speed, you felt foolish for having thanked Kaiba for his patience as he waited for you by the door. Of course he should’ve waited. Was he going to risk exposing his little secret to whomever was on the other side of the door? 

Pulling down the last piece of your clothes, the door latch ticked as Kaiba pushed down on the handle. Slinging your backpack clumsily over your shoulders, you chased after him with questions but stopped as he snapped his fingers in your face.

“Mr. Kaiba.” Hina bowed as Kaiba strolled towards the front of his suite, in her arms carried an assortment of garment bags and accessories.

“Hina, she’ll do.” Kaiba gestured behind him as he checked his phone for messages.

“Of course, sir.” Hina bowed once more as Kaiba exited his suite without a second glance in your direction.

* * *

“Take these.” 

You read off the designer tags as Hina stuffed the mountain of cocktail dresses into your arms.

“Is that Roberto Cavalli?”

Ignoring your question, Hina continued.

“Pick any one you like, feel free to keep the rest.”

“Uh, whu-, o-ok.”

Uncertain what to make of the situation, you stuttered awkwardly, finding her lack of explanation disconcerting.

“Wait... really!?” 

You eyed Hina with incredulity as her words finally clicked in your head. Does she realize she just handed you about $50,000 - $80,000 worth of dresses?

“Yes.” Hina sighed, unimpressed by the overt enthusiasm of your reaction.

“But why-”

“If you’ll just let me finish!” Detecting a trace of exasperation as Hina struggled to maintain her facade of calm professionality, you took a step back and smiled as you gestured of her to continue.

“Anyways.” She exhaled, donning her signature porcelain smile once more as her breathing calmed. “Mr. Kaiba will be attending an important function at the Plaza Hotel in Ginza next week.” She informed. “The event will be held at 9:00PM next Friday, I’ll send someone over to pick you up by 3:30.”

“3:30?” You chuffed. “Isn’t that a little too early? I have class until 5:00 on Fridays.”

Unamused by your interruption, Hina ignored your question and carried on. 

“A make-up artists and hair stylist will help you to get ready, and a representative of whichever designer you choose will be present as well for your fitting. What shoe size are you by the way?” Hina asked suddenly as she glanced at your Adidas sneakers.

“7.”

“Good, make sure you have the dress tailored before then, the contact information for each individual designer is in the bags.”

The pile of dresses slipped from your arms as Hina tapped at it with her fingers. “Give them Mr. Kaiba’s name and you won’t be charged.” 

Darting one last glance at your adidas clad feet, Hina approached you and stuffed an envelope harshly in the side pocket of your backpack. “And here’s your pay for the night.”

“But we didn’t-.”

“I know!” You recoiled as Hina hissed loudly. “Tonight is your lucky night isn’t it?”

Completely thrown off by her sudden abrasive behavior, you wondered what you had done exactly to have provoked such rudeness from Kaiba’s usually well-composed secretary. 

Leaving with more questions than answer as Hina slammed the taxi door in your face, you combed through the possible reasons as to why Seto Kaiba, _THE_ Seto Kaiba, would ever want to be seen in public with you, let along bring you as a date to this supposedly important function.


	3. Chapter 3

Having moved from Manhattan to Tokyo, you thought you had seen it all; affluent trust fund babies who are completely dissociated from the normal struggles of society, trophy wives toting around a myriad of designer accessories with matching diamond encrusted collars for their pure-bred puppies, and, of course, their staunch belief in their own superior pedigree, ingrained by their privileged upbringing. 

Even then, considering the advancements in modern cinematography, no theatrical reenactment has yet to capture the sheer opulence and otherworldliness of this ridiculous social gathering you're attending. Oh, these wealthy elites and their fancy garments and their posh accents; it’s like you have stumbled over some forbidden threshold into a world of living dreams.

In this dream, there was something for everyone’s taste, from impeccably dressed maikos from the famous Hanamachi Tea house, ambling about in their wooden okobos, to centerfold Playboy bunnies serving refreshments in their vintage costumes.

“Watch where you’re going.”

The stern warning from Kaiba snapped you out of your trance, causing you to cease your air-headed gawking. Had he not pulled you out of the way, you would’ve definitely collided with the maître d', who himself was too preoccupied to have noticed otherwise. Embarrassed by your undignified behavior, which was unbefitting of a well-to-do lady, you cleared your throat and regained your composure.

“Sorry about that.” You muttered under your breath as Kaiba shot you a look of annoyance.

“Sorry.” You offered your apology once more, but, as expected, your act of contrition went completely unacknowledged. Though, your surprise, you were not chastised for your inattentiveness, either.

“Ah, there you are! Evening!”

Suddenly, Kaiba’s entire demeanor changed as a middle-aged man greeted nearby. 

“Monsieur Beaumont.”

Cozying up beside you as he hooked your arm around his own, Kaiba gently held you against his body in an obvious gesture of affection as he returned Beaumont's greeting.

“Congratulations on securing the deal with Bateman!” Beaumont extended a hand as he beamed with a toothy grin.

"Thank you."

More formalities were exchanged as the two men quickly shook hands.

“And this is?” Beaumont inclined politely in your direction.

“This-” Kaiba responded as he nudged you forward. “-is Ms. Emily Vanderbilt.”

“Ah, yes of course, Ms. Vanderbilt.”

Emily Vanderbilt, a pseudonym that was entrusted to you for the evening, smiled coyishly as you mimicked those female leads in popular sappy romantic comedies. 

“Good evening.” You greeted.

The portrayal of this Emily character was rather easy, as there are far too many Vanderbilt descendants floating around for anyone to keep count, let alone remember their faces. Tonight, you were given the reins to play this Emily character however you pleased, as long as you limited your conversations to pleasantries and small-talks; for you were there to serve as an accessory to Kaiba and nothing more.

The heavy white diamond bracelets shackled around your wrists clinked loudly against your blue diamond bangles as you shook Beaumont’s hand before bestowing his date with a customary hug and kiss on the cheek.

“It’s a pleasure to have your acquaintance once more.” You regurgitated the lines that were hounded into your memory en-route the party.

“And as always, you look splendid my dear.” Monsieur Beaumont winked. “By the way how was your trip to Macau?”

“Macau? O-Oh yes of course. It exceeded my expectations.” You chuckled nervously at this unanticipated topic and thanked Beaumont for his misattributed question as Kaiba darted you a look of warning. Hina seemed to have conveniently left out this a rather important detail when she had briefed you of your duties tonight, you were under the impression you were not impersonating a real person at all. 

“Yes, Macau was delightful.” Kaiba concluded quickly as Beaumont started to inquire for more details. “How did your venture with Lockheed Martin go?”

As the socialization swung into full gear, you were afforded the opportunity to observe these one-percenters in peace as Kaiba lugged you around for greetings. Not long after, you were left to your own devices as he conducted business around the room, a much welcomed reprieve. 

Feeling like an utter fraud as you wandered aimlessly around the room, unable to make conversation, you instead sat down by the veranda and glanced down wearily at the precious gems that adorned your body. What if you break them? What if they fall off? They must be insured right? The cost of the necklace alone rivals the GDP of some smaller countries. Splendid as they may be, you would rather not have to shoulder that responsibility.

As the pre-dinner cocktails kicked in, the stifling atmosphere of the ballroom chamber became alarmingly overwhelming. The conceited chatter and cackling laughter offended your senses. Seeing how your presence was no longer a necessity, you anxiously waded through the sea of people and made your way to the balcony.

A light breeze ruffled through your hair as you stepped onto the empty terrace. Glancing beyond the railing, the tranquility of the bright moonlight and the faint melodies from the orchestra juxtaposed perfectly against the glittering lights and bustling nightlife below. 

Taking a deep breath as you observed the smog that pervaded the city streets beneath, you felt rather alienated; you don’t belong up here; your place was down below. The enormous engagement ring on your finger weighed heavily against your hand as you marveled it at eye level. You chuckle pitifully at your lot in life as the 30-karat princess cut diamond glowed with a silvery haze, reflecting the cascading moonlight from above. Is this your Cinderella moment? Of course not, Kaiba is no prince charming and there is no such thing as a happily ever after for you.

“Life is so unfair.” You sighed, dropping your hands over the balcony as another breeze billowed through the air, flashes of lightning streaked across the sky as a towering storm cloud encroached.

“That’s a bold statement.” 

You startled as someone chuckled from behind. 

“Coming from someone like you.” The person continued as a rustling noise followed.

“Ouch, bad idea.” The intruder frowned as he plucked a thorn from his sleeve and stepped through the rosebushes guarding the balcony gates.

Taken aback by the his sudden appearance, you froze on the spot as the trespasser sauntered over with a pink rose twirling in his hands.

“What? Do I have to spell it out for you?” His green eyes glistened with interest as you scowled at him in silent refutation.

“Come on Emily. A Vanderbilt, Harvard graduate, millionaire heiress?” He summarily recounted the details of your life as he plucked off the petals one by one. "What's so unfair about it? Not to mention, bagging the _ultimate bachelor_.” He grumbled mockingly, tossing aside the now barren rose stem and jerked his head towards the glass panels leading inside.

“Jealous much?” You sniggered at his overly prickly disposition upon Kaiba's mention.

“Pff. Me? Of course not!” He chuffed, though the abrupt aversion of his eyes told you otherwise. 

“Wait a minute…” He halted for a moment and squinted at your face before speeding over in an instant.

Aware of his closing distance, you backed away as the man continued to scrutinize your features.

“You’re not Emily at all!” The stranger gasped at the revelation of your fraudulent identity.

“Yes I am.”

“No you’re not!”

“Yes I am!”

“Prove it! What class did we have together in senior year of high school?”

“B..biology.”

“No, you dingus.” The young man smirked, having just caught you red-handed with a lie. “It was history. Who the hell are you? Why are you impersonating Kaiba’s-”?

“Shhh!”

His question was cut short as you slammed a hand over his mouth and shoved him behind a set of curtains nearby that were, thankfully, opaque.

“How naughty.” The man cooed flirtingly behind your fingers as you pressed yourself against him.

“Be quiet.” You implored as Beaumont appeared on the balcony. 

“Can’t wait to tell Kaiba what his lovely _Emily_ did-”

“Shut up!” You pressed down harder on his mouth as Beaumont’s crept closer to your hiding place. No way you were going to risk the exposure of your true identity at this party, especially not to Beaumont, whom Kaiba was keen to convince otherwise.

“Kaiba thinks he’s slick.”

Your hand slackened as you heard the mention of Kaiba's name from Beaumont. 

“He thinks by marrying a Vanderbilt he'll be granted immunity? That brat.” Beaumont continued as a sharply dressed woman appeared beside him with a lit cigar in hand.

A puff of smoke wafted in your direction as the woman took a long draft and exhaled. “So you’ll string him along until I’m ready?” The softness of her spoken French barely masked the dubious implications of her words.

Another flash of lightning illuminated the sky as a gust of wind swept across the terrace. You hastily retrieved your hands and muffled your own breathing as the cloud of cigar smoke polluted your airways. Horrified, you struggled to contain the urge to expel the smoke as the two French business partners continued their discussion on sabotaging Kaiba.

“Most certainly, it’s about time I teach that kid a lesson. Here’s the plan...” Now only a few feet away from the curtains, the two fired off on their florid discussion as they puffed away at their cigars

Unable to hold it back any longer, your lungs rebelled and you launched into a fit of uncontrolled coughing. 

“Who’s there!?” Alerted by the sound of your coughing, the woman spun around in her heels and stared at the curtains.

“Oh hi! I didn’t know anyone was out here! I was wondering why I was smelling something burning." *Cough cough* "Ahem, excuse me."

The young man you were so desperate to keep hidden shoved you behind and stepped forward in your stead, pretending to have just stumbled upon the two’s secret meeting.

“Oh, it’s you Stevens” Beaumont and the woman exchanged quick glances. “What are you doing up here?” Their look of terror vanished as they plastered a well-practiced smile on their faces.

“I was just watching the oncoming storm and admiring the roses.” Stevens pointed to a rosebush furthest away from where they were standing and maneuvered around the two so their backs were facing in your direction.

“So what’s new?” Stevens asked, plucking another flower from the nearest rosebush. “Talking crap about us English again?” He winked. “Just so you know, we’re still bitter about the Norman conquest.”

“Ah hahaha.” Whatever residual weariness the two had felt towards the young man dissipated as he just obviously demonstrated his lack of mastery in their native language.

“Well, we are still bitter about Brexit.” The woman joked in broken English as she shot Beaumont a look of relief.

“Besides, you got us back by stealing our American colonies.” Beaumont patted Stevens on the back as he carefully guided him back inside. “Heck, we even beheaded our King for it.” 

* * *

Dodging past the waitstaff, you apologized profusely to everyone within your vicinity as you meandered your way through the kitchen. It was the only other route back to the ballroom aside from the balcony stairs, which you deliberately avoided in case Beaumont had lingered.

Locating Kaiba quickly as he dwarfed everyone else in height, you chased after him as he made his way down a long hallway towards the grand dining room.

“Mr. Kaiba.” You called out cautiously as you glanced around for potential eavesdroppers.

“Idiot, don’t address me by my last name here.” Kaiba hissed, pausing his steps as he waited for you to catch up. “And where have you been?”

“Sorry. S-Seto.” You grumbled awkwardly as you caught up to him, his name slipped off your tongue like foreign slime that doesn't belong. 

“What do you want?” He demanded as you trailed beside him. “And make it short.” He snapped.

"Hold on." You requested, the asymmetric cut of your dress already rendered it cumbersome at normal walking speed, one wrong step and you risked tearing a hole in the delicate fabric. “Can you please slow down?” You pleaded, nearly tripping on your train as you tried to match the speed of his long strides. 

But Kaiba didn’t listen of course.

“Dammit! Stop!” Sick of playing catch-up, you grabbed a hold of his arm and pulled him to a full stop. “Beaumont is trying to swindle you!” 

“What?” Kaiba snapped, rather accusingly as if you were speaking purely on conjectures. “When did I give you permission to ask about my business?”

Painstaking placating his unfounded accusation with a forced apology, you carefully recalled everything you had heard on the balcony, taking care not to omit or embellish any details.

“Hold on, you speak French?”

“Uh, yes.” Confused by Kaiba’s irrelevant question, you gauged him with bewilderment as he refused to address the obvious elephant in the room. 

“Where did you learn French?” Kaiba continued his interrogation on your comprehension of the Gallo-Romance language, looking uncharacteristically copesetic for a man who had just been informed of his demise. Was he expecting Beaumont to betray him all along?

“Wait, I never said they spoke French.” You paused upon reaching your assigned dinner table. “How did you know?” You whispered as Kaiba withdrew your seat.

“Because I’m a genius.” You rolled your eyes at the ceiling as Kaiba spouted his signature self-aggrandizing pronouncement. “Either way, stay out of my business.” 

Having gone through all that trouble only to be chastised for nothing, you nodded in bitter disappointment as he took his seat in silence. 

Looking out the window as another flash of lightning scattered across the sky, your felt rather disgruntled as giant rain drops poured from the sky. Not expecting to be chauffeured all the way home, you wondered if Kaiba would at least lend an umbrella so your books and laptop would be spared from the rain on your trek home to your tiny little cardboard box of a dorm. As your thoughts drifted aimlessly whist you stared at the window’s hazy reflection of the room, you swore you saw a curious glance from Kaiba’s direction but were unable to confirm it as he had looked away before you had the chance to turn around.

* * *

Even with the promise of Michelin quality food, dinner was no less painful than the pre-dinner socialization. The plates of exquisitely decorated dishes sat before you like a museum art piece, looking rather inedible compared to your breakfast of slightly burnt pancakes. And as if having to falsely compliment the chef for his porcelain like food wasn't bad enough, you had to endure the pretentious humble braggers around the table while being forced to partake in the consumption of alcohol. Under normal circumstances, the prospect of being served vintage champagne would be a delightful experience, but knowing you couldn’t take your evening dose of medication as a result, you sorely dreaded taking the first sip. But seeing how it would be a huge insult in the Japanese culture to decline such an offer, you put on your best smile and accepted the drinks without any complaint. 

Despite sipping at a glacial pace to avoid the overconsumption of said spirits, drowsiness rapidly sank in, dragging down on your eyelids like they were chained to a truckload of weights. Fighting to keep your composure as dinner dragged on, you downed glasses of water in between toasts in hopes of keeping sobriety.

To your dismay, a pretentious and needless debate had been initiated at the table over the lethality of AC vs DC currents.

“Jesus Christ.” Unamused, you muttered under your breath as a flurry of pseudointellectual arguments buzzed around you. “Who cares, just stick a fork in the socket and get it over with.”

“Hahaha!” A hush fell over the table as Kaiba roared with laughter. “Good idea.” He chuckled, crossing his arms as he nodded in agreement.

“Do you have something to contribute?” Someone bravely inquired from across the table. “Mr. Kaiba?” They added hastily, knowing Kaiba’s expectation of respect is not to be trifled with.

“They are equally lethal.” You jumped in without an invitation, a bit more sloppy than you had intended; a side effect of your drunkenness, no doubt. “The whole debate was cooked up by Edison because he ran a smear campaign against Tesla.” The corner of Kaiba’s lips curled up in discernable pride as he glanced at you with mild look of surprise. “And-”

“According to the Schwaringger report.” An elderly attendee interrupted abruptly, his scowl seemed a permanent fixture on his line etched eyes. “Less than 10% of modern-day domestic appliances utilize DC as their source of energy.” To your annoyance, a few patrons around the table nodded in support as the person continued to point out the nonexistent fallacies in your argument. “If alternating current is more reliable and less volatile, wouldn’t the consumer market be saturated with products that utilize both forms of electricity? I mean, you’d have to be dense to assume otherwise. Wouldn’t you agree Mr. Kaiba?” He concluded by emphasizing Kaiba’s name.

“Yes, but-”

“Mr. Kaiba, will you kindly ask Ms. Emily to refrain from speaking unless spoken to?” The man interrupted once more, this time, not withholding his disdain for your unasked opinions. 

Resisting the urge to slam your face onto the table out of frustration, you took a long inhale and glanced longingly at the exit. 

“First of all.” The Tiffany necklace slid against your collarbones as you snapped your head around at Kaiba addressing sternly at the man. “No one orders around my fiancée.” You perked up, ready for the masterpiece of a roast he was no doubt about to unleash onto the man. “As an extension of myself, I expect everyone to show her the same respect as you do me.”

A warm fuzzy feeling trickled down your spine as Kaiba defended your honor with a rather uncompromising statement. How bizarre. You swallowed hard as he laid a hand on your shoulder, finding him irresistibly attractive all of the sudden. Must be the alcohol.

“And don’t you ever interrupt her again.”

“How dare-”

“Second of all.” Kaiba continued, silencing all opposition as he scanned around the table. “Stop talking like a bunch of know-it-alls, it an insult to anyone with half a braincell.”

“That’s out of line Kaiba-”

“Lastly.” Kaiba interrupted as he tossed his napkin onto the table and stood from his chair. “Speaking of lethality, I’ve recently developed a severe allergy to _stupidous populus_ and have been warned of its _lethality_.” Kaiba emphasized, earning a few approving chuckles from other tables at his made-up diagnosis.

“And as such, I’m afraid I must cut my dinner short before my throat seizes up completely from your stupidity.”

Oh, the man really is a genius! You beamed up at Kaiba as he basked in the incredulity he had caused at the table. You had always assumed there was a ghostwriter behind all of his witty comebacks, but no, the man is as clever as he claims. 

“Now if you’ll excuse us.” Kaiba smirked as he gently guided you from your seat. “I think it’s about time we take our leave.”

* * *

“Emily, you’re one lucky girl.” You snickered to yourself as you slumped against the backseat of the limo, the cool leather interior chilled your flushed body as you wiped the beads of lingering rain drops from your hair. Though your admiration was initally meant to be expressed as an internal dialogue, the residual wooziness from the alcohol caused you to accidentally spoke those thoughts out loud. Thankfully, the furious rain was pounding hard enough against the car’s exterior, which to your relief, dampened all sounds on the inside.

_'Oh dear.'_

A soaking wet Kaiba climbed in next to you as Roland held open the door. His water logged bangs obscured his eyes as he leaned forward to peel off his jacket. Feeling guilty over his current predicament, you expressed your gratitude to Kaiba for graciously shielding you from the rain, with his own umbrella no less, after you had lost yours to the wind. Perhaps you had misjudged him; Kaiba had shown you kindness tonight without any prompting, he defended your honor and protected you from the elements at his own risk. For the first time, you noticed, his actions are finally living up to his ungodly handsomeness.

“Move over.”

No longer smitten as Kaiba brazenly shoved you away from him, even though there already existed a foot of clearance between you two, you obediently pressed your body against the door as Kaiba continued to strip off his sodden outfit. 

Although you've seen him stripped naked plenty of times before, there's something about the way he's doing it right now... that’s making you really hot and bothered. 

_'Must be the_ _alcohol_.' You thought.

Jamie Foxx would’ve been proud.

*Knock knock*

You instinctively reeled back from the window as someone knocked playfully from the other side.

"You-" Gasping under your breath as the green-eyed young man from earlier waved cheekily from under his umbrella, your fingers reached for the window switch by the door handle but paused as you were reminded of the the indecently dressed Kaiba next to you.

“Can I help you Stevens?” To your relief, Kaiba lowered the window himself instead, glowering at the intruder as he pulled a Kaiba Corp hoodie over his naked upper body.

"What's your name?" Stevens leaned against the window frame and smirked at you having blatantly ignored Kaiba’s inquest.

"My name..."

 _'Wait.'_ You paused.

A hoodie!? Seto Kaiba wearing a hoodie?! You snapped your head back and stared unabashfully at Kaiba as he continued to antagonize your visitor; who knew he could look so... so darn good just by donning a simple hoodie. 

"Hello?!"

"Huh?" You spun back around towards the window having heard nothing of Steven's question being too busy gawking at Kaiba's uncharacteristic attire... and his hair. His hair was messily slicked back and firmly held in place by the residual water that had clung to his gorgeous dark auburn locks.

It's as if a whole different person is sitting beside you at this very moment; a decrepit caterpillar who had finally shed his cocoon of a stone cold businessman to a now newly emerged young man that exuded a much more boyish charm, exemplified by the lack of obscurities from his hair.

Who is this person and what has he done with the real Kaiba?

“What’s your name?” Stevens inquired once more, shouting over the rain. 

“Her name is Emily.” Kaiba answered coolly as Stevens continued to ignore him and instead, dug a hand into his inner breast pocket. 

“Look, it’s ok if you don’t wanna tell me, I’ll figure it out eventually. I’m London by the way. London Stevens”

Kaiba growled as the man extended a hand across the partially opened window and waited patiently for your attention. “I had a lovely time with you this evening, I hope you enjoyed it as well.”

“Su-sure.” You turned away from Kaiba and stuttered, obliging him with a hesitant handshake, not sure of what's going on at all.

"As you can see, she's rather preoccupied with me at the moment." Kaiba smirked as you resumed your slack-jawed staring back at him as soon as you relinquished London’s hand. 

Despite your obvious disinterest, London smiled and pressed a neatly folded note into your palm. “And since you owe me a favor.” He reminded, retracting his arm out the window. “You can make it up to me later.” He winked and made a gesture with his hand before holding it up to his ears. “Call me-”

The young man was denied his last parting words as Kaiba rolled up the limo’s soundproof window, shutting him back out in the pouring rain.

"Stop your staring." Kaiba warned as the limo sped off onto the highway. "If I catch so much as a glance in my direction, you won’t receive a single penny for your work tonight." 

* * *

Afraid of provoking the already irritated lion as the limo weaved in and out of traffic, London’s note remained undisturbed in your hands as you discretely disobeyed Kaiba’s orders and nervously checked up on him with a small collection of quick glances, daring not to let your gaze linger too long. He, however, just stared straight ahead in deadly silence with his hands and legs crossed before him. 

Having sobered up bit by bit as the drive dragged on, you've just now realized the extent of the trouble you were in having not brushed off London as soon as he appeared, and having gawked at Kaiba like an idiot in front of him... Emily Vanderbilt would've never done that.

That aside, the two men obviously has a history together, and not a good one from what it seemed. Does Kaiba suspect you of having a nefarious affair with London? That would be preposterous, considering you only met the guy just a few hours prior and have no vested interest in their drama.

“How do you know him?” Kaiba inquired suddenly, scrolling nonchalantly through his phone as he does so.

“I…” You relented and described the encounter with London, regretting you had omitted this detail earlier. It’s not like it had any weight on Beaumont ploy anyways. 

“And what do you owe him exactly?” Kaiba asked, this time with impertinence.

Unsure of the answer yourself, you unfolded the note, hoping to find an answer in there.

“A date I guess... heh” You chuckled but dropped your smile promptly as Kaiba shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Though having no intentions of calling London, you were still flattered by the lovely handwritten note you were presented with; so neatly scribbled with hilariously terrible old-fashioned pick-up lines straight out of a Victorian gentleman's handbook. And you, thinking back, was even more flattered by his willingness to chase you down in the rain and risking life and limb of invoking Kaiba’s ire just to learn your name. 

“A date?”

You hastily crumpled the note as Kaiba became visibly upset at your outwardly favorable reception towards London. Why does this little detail matter to him? You’re just an escort after all.

“We’ve arrived, Mr. Kaiba.” Thankfully, the limo came to a halt before you were made to answer for your crimes.

Pulling up at the at the front portico of the hotel that you have become so familiar with, the limo came to a smooth stop as you hastily gathered your belongings.

Anxious to leave, you opened the car door and stepped onto the pavement before the valet even had the chance to start walking in your direction. Expecting Kaiba to peel off the minute you exit the premise, you bowed deeply and sincerely thanked him for his patronage, suspecting he would never want to see you again after this. Though he acted like a jerk for most of the night, he still provided you with much needed financial support over the months during your time of need.

“Thank...wha-” You straightened up and took a step back as Kaiba stepped out of the car. 

Adjusting the hems of his freshly donned suite jacket, Kaiba stared down at you as you lingered by the open door. Without a word, Kaiba turned on his heels and motioned for you to follow as he made his way inside.

“But Mr. Kaiba, aren’t you going home?” Roland chased after him into the lobby, leaving the car to idle at the driveway.

“Pick me up at 8:00 tomorrow morning.” Kaiba ordered as he pressed the button for the elevator door. 

“Tomorrow morning?” Roland scratched at the back of his head as he looked back and forth between the two of you. 

Sharing his confusion, you also looked to Kaiba for clues. 

Fine, you get it, Kaiba is feeling frisky and has decided you are still worthy of satisfying his urges tonight. But why stay the whole night? He's not the type to linger and cuddle afterwards. Does he plan on fooling around all night? Does he even possess enough stamina to pull off such an ambious all-nighter??

“I don’t like to repeat myself.” The door opened to an empty elevator as Kaiba dismissed Roland with a wave.

“Hurry up!” Rooted in place by the absurdity of the situation, you snapped out of your thoughts and rushed into the elevator as Kaiba waited impatiently inside, nearly getting your dress caught in the door in the process.

“S-Seto.”

You immediately regretted your decision as soon as the word exited your mouth. It’s not your fault! That’s what happens when people are demanded to switch back and forth between names. The amount of times you were accidentally called your sister’s name by friends and family would’ve filled an entire diary.

“Mr. Kaiba.” You corrected as Kaiba glared at you for your audacity. “Are you-”

“Be quiet.” He ordered, resuming his signature pose of crossing his arms as he ignored you completely.

 _‘And here we go again.’_ You groaned as Kaiba resorted to his usual go-to phrases for communication. Mistakenly hoping perhaps he had enjoyed your company as much as you had his for most of this evening, you chastised your optimism as you watched him slowly resume his usual aloof attitude, noting how ridiculous it was of you to assume you would have any importance to a man like him.

Looks like your Cinderella moment did just ended, and as expected, without a happily ever after.

Promising to give London a call later to recover some of your wounded dignity, you stuffed the piece of paper into your wallet as you followed Kaiba into the usual penthouse suite.

Barely had you had the chance to close the latch on your purse before Kaiba took you by the arms, and slammed you against the bedroom door. Without hesitation, Kaiba pressed his lips against your lips and kissed you roughly as his arms trapped you in his embrace. Your elegant updo was knocked loose as the opal hairpin that held it place dislodged itself from your hair, falling, shattering, and littering all over the marble floor.

Completely caught off guard, you stood frozen as Kaiba shoved you even harder against the door while his hands pulled you closer to his body. 

“Jumping ship already?” He growled, pulling back his kiss; your non-response seemed to have struck a nerve with him. 

Holding you by the chin, Kaiba tilted your head up to meet his gaze and studied your face carefully. 

“So eager to leave.” He scowled, brushing aside your uncoiled hair as he inched closer to your face.

Flustered by his unusual behavior, your cheeks flush red with embarrassment as you were forced to look into his eyes. Despite having carnal knowledge of the man, being held at such close proximity and being forced to bear the intensity of his eyes; this is the most intimate you’ve ever felt with him.

“Are you unsatisfied with your pay?”

“No, I’m just unsatisfied with your performance-”

_'Dammit Reina, you and your big mouth...'_

It was only a joke, albeit a honest one. But Seto Kaiba doesn’t seem to take it so. Welp, your propensity for stupid jokes had just landed you a death sentence.

“Oh really?” 

You recoiled against Kaiba as he bore into your soul with his searing glare. No longer was he just irritated by your preference for another _client_ , you've now thoroughly offended his entire being.

“And you think _he's_ going to fare any better than me?” Meaning London of course.

You shook your head furiously, but it was too late. 

Kaiba seized the straps of your dress and, in one fell swoop, tore it off your body. 

“Allow me to show you how lucky Emily really was." He breathed menacingly into your ears as he held your naked body firmly in his arms. “Ms. Dubois.”


End file.
